This page contains examples of questions that students have been asked during interviews for higher education courses.
French
1. How does French culture differ from English?
(answered: food- British food simple and often eaten in front of the television, French food richer/ more sophisticated and cafe culture)
2. Why do you think these differences in food and culture have emerged?
(answered: religion- France Roman Catholic so more elaborate and detailed as reflected in the food, whereas Britain at key points in history has been Protestant, so more bland and 'pure' as demonstrated by the Puritans and Cromwell. THINK HISTORY LESSONS!
3.Why do you want to study French? In France?
4. What do you think to grammar?
5. In what ways do you aid your learning of French? (reading books, magazines, watching films, visiting the country)
6. How did you find out about the university and why do you think it is suited to you?
Physics
Why did you choose to study Physics at A Level? (Do not say "Because it goes with Maths")
What area of Physics are you interested in?
Which physicists do you admire? Why?
Engineering
1. What particular areas of engineering are you interested in?
2. What extra activities or projects have you taken part in that would help you with engineering in the future?
3. What qualities do you feel an engineer needs?
(Aerospace)
4. How does a plane fly?
5. What issues are there with flying today?
Medicine
1. Tell me about 3 of your strengths and 3 of your weaknesses.
2. Debate in 1 minute - do you think that medical soaps have much existence values.
3. Which role do you usually in a team -leader or follower?
4. Among the things you learnt in your work experience what do you think is the most important.
5. Which people have influenced you the most and why?
6. Who should be given a liver transplant - an alcoholic or a non-drinker.
7. Discuss recent stories in the news about the NHS.
Drama
Drama interviews are more likely to comprise of a workshop and group interview/seminar/discussion than a one-on-one interview.
Workshops: Strangely similar experience to Drama lessons in Year 7-9, but slightly more serious and a lot more pretentious. There may be a few warm up games (warning - the difficulty you have in catching things is directly proportional to how nervous you are, so keep your eye on the ball), then generally you'll be divided into small groups of perhaps 3-5 people and given a stimulus around which to base a short improvised performance. The stimulus could be a situation (eg waiting for a train), a poem, or perhaps a required structure (such as a series of freeze frames). Generally these workshops are really good fun and nothing to worry about. Improvising with complete strangers sounds daunting, but remember that everyone else is probably just as nervous as you are, and definitely just as eager to do well.
Discussions and seminars: You might be given specific intructions before the interview to prepare a short presentation on an element of Drama or a production you've recently seen/taken part in. If not, be prepared to discuss issues relating to contemporary theatre. Topics that have come up in my interviews range from a heated argument over the relative merits of scripted vs improvised performance to a philosophical discussion on whether daily life can be counted as a 'performance'. Don't be frightened to talk over other people if you've got something important to say, but be aware that you're being assessed on both your skills as an individual and your ability to collaborate with others, so don't be too aggressive.
General
1. What recent news stories have interested you recently?
2. What are your future career plans and do you have a back-up option?
3. When and why did you first become interested in drama?
4. What performances have you seen/performed in recently?
5. Interviewer may pick out a sentence from your personal statement and ask you to discuss it.
6. If you could be any animal, what would you be and why? (what qualities does this show in you?)
What are your strengths?
What are your weaknesses?
Tell me about a time you used leadership/initiative/good judgement. What happened? What was the outcome?
Tell me about a time when you made the wrong decision. What was the outcome? Show what you learned from this experience.
Don't forget to attend post-offer open days. They can be useful for looking at what you will study (modules).
University Questions Music ·How do composers create expression in their pieces? ·Characteristics of sonata form ·How can dynamics portray a mood? ·What modern composers do you like, and why? ·Tell me what you know about Scarlatti? ·What pieces are you studying for A2, and tell me about them? ·What do you want to do with your music degree? Aeronautical Engineering ·How do planes fly? ·Why engineering, and more specifically aeronautical? ·What role do engineers play in society? ·What do you want to do with your degree? Medicine ·Why medicine and why no other healthcare profession? ·Balloon Debate ·If you went to Malawi, would you spend ‘the money’ on 20 x-ray machines, or 1 MRI scanner? ·What speciality do you want to go into? ·What recent news within the NHS has interested you? Primary Teaching
·If ‘I’ walked into your classroom in 5 years time, what would it look like? ·What are your views on pets in the classroom? ·What recent educational issues have interested you and what is your view on it? ·Where do you see yourself in 10 years time? ·From your experiences within the classroom, explain what you have seen and any problems which you have come across. ·What has been your favourite experience throughout your work experience in the classroom? ·How has technology affected the classroom, and has it aided learning? ·How has education changed over the past 10 years? ·What qualities do you think a good primary school teacher needs and why? ·Why do you want to do this degree? ·What qualities do you think you have that will help you on this degree and in the future? General Questions ·Why this university? ·Who do you think is responsible for the credit crunch? ·What subjects have you studied and which did you find hardest? ·What do you think of Barack Obama? ·What work experience do you have, if any, related to the subject? ·Tell me about a time when you had to make a plan. ·What do you think you can bring to this university?
This page contains examples of questions that students have been asked during interviews for higher education courses.
French
1. How does French culture differ from English?
(answered: food- British food simple and often eaten in front of the television, French food richer/ more sophisticated and cafe culture)
2. Why do you think these differences in food and culture have emerged?
(answered: religion- France Roman Catholic so more elaborate and detailed as reflected in the food, whereas Britain at key points in history has been Protestant, so more bland and 'pure' as demonstrated by the Puritans and Cromwell. THINK HISTORY LESSONS!
3.Why do you want to study French? In France?
4. What do you think to grammar?
5. In what ways do you aid your learning of French? (reading books, magazines, watching films, visiting the country)
6. How did you find out about the university and why do you think it is suited to you?
Physics
Engineering
1. What particular areas of engineering are you interested in?
2. What extra activities or projects have you taken part in that would help you with engineering in the future?
3. What qualities do you feel an engineer needs?
(Aerospace)
4. How does a plane fly?
5. What issues are there with flying today?
Medicine
1. Tell me about 3 of your strengths and 3 of your weaknesses.
2. Debate in 1 minute - do you think that medical soaps have much existence values.
3. Which role do you usually in a team -leader or follower?
4. Among the things you learnt in your work experience what do you think is the most important.
5. Which people have influenced you the most and why?
6. Who should be given a liver transplant - an alcoholic or a non-drinker.
7. Discuss recent stories in the news about the NHS.
Drama
Drama interviews are more likely to comprise of a workshop and group interview/seminar/discussion than a one-on-one interview.
Workshops: Strangely similar experience to Drama lessons in Year 7-9, but slightly more serious and a lot more pretentious. There may be a few warm up games (warning - the difficulty you have in catching things is directly proportional to how nervous you are, so keep your eye on the ball), then generally you'll be divided into small groups of perhaps 3-5 people and given a stimulus around which to base a short improvised performance. The stimulus could be a situation (eg waiting for a train), a poem, or perhaps a required structure (such as a series of freeze frames). Generally these workshops are really good fun and nothing to worry about. Improvising with complete strangers sounds daunting, but remember that everyone else is probably just as nervous as you are, and definitely just as eager to do well.
Discussions and seminars: You might be given specific intructions before the interview to prepare a short presentation on an element of Drama or a production you've recently seen/taken part in. If not, be prepared to discuss issues relating to contemporary theatre. Topics that have come up in my interviews range from a heated argument over the relative merits of scripted vs improvised performance to a philosophical discussion on whether daily life can be counted as a 'performance'. Don't be frightened to talk over other people if you've got something important to say, but be aware that you're being assessed on both your skills as an individual and your ability to collaborate with others, so don't be too aggressive.
General
1. What recent news stories have interested you recently?
2. What are your future career plans and do you have a back-up option?
3. When and why did you first become interested in drama?
4. What performances have you seen/performed in recently?
5. Interviewer may pick out a sentence from your personal statement and ask you to discuss it.
6. If you could be any animal, what would you be and why? (what qualities does this show in you?)
What are your strengths?
What are your weaknesses?
Tell me about a time you used leadership/initiative/good judgement. What happened? What was the outcome?
Tell me about a time when you made the wrong decision. What was the outcome? Show what you learned from this experience.
Don't forget to attend post-offer open days. They can be useful for looking at what you will study (modules).
University Questions
Music
· How do composers create expression in their pieces?
· Characteristics of sonata form
· How can dynamics portray a mood?
· What modern composers do you like, and why?
· Tell me what you know about Scarlatti?
· What pieces are you studying for A2, and tell me about them?
· What do you want to do with your music degree?
Aeronautical Engineering
· How do planes fly?
· Why engineering, and more specifically aeronautical?
· What role do engineers play in society?
· What do you want to do with your degree?
Medicine
· Why medicine and why no other healthcare profession?
· Balloon Debate
· If you went to Malawi, would you spend ‘the money’ on 20 x-ray machines, or 1 MRI scanner?
· What speciality do you want to go into?
· What recent news within the NHS has interested you?
Primary Teaching
· If ‘I’ walked into your classroom in 5 years time, what would it look like?
· What are your views on pets in the classroom?
· What recent educational issues have interested you and what is your view on it?
· Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?
· From your experiences within the classroom, explain what you have seen and any problems which you have come across.
· What has been your favourite experience throughout your work experience in the classroom?
· How has technology affected the classroom, and has it aided learning?
· How has education changed over the past 10 years?
· What qualities do you think a good primary school teacher needs and why?
· Why do you want to do this degree?
· What qualities do you think you have that will help you on this degree and in the future?
General Questions
· Why this university?
· Who do you think is responsible for the credit crunch?
· What subjects have you studied and which did you find hardest?
· What do you think of Barack Obama?
· What work experience do you have, if any, related to the subject?
· Tell me about a time when you had to make a plan.
· What do you think you can bring to this university?
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